In the western Amazon region of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil and eastern Andean slopes in Ecuador, at 416(75-1850) m elevation in lowland or montane rainforest. This is a widespread and extremely variable subspecies which can be divided into various morphotypes, mostly based on leaf size and shape. In the western Amazon basin of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil there is a morphotype (arundinacea) with undivided or pinnate leaves with non-raised adaxial veins; On eastern Andean foothills and in the western Amazon region in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru there is a morphotype (elevata) with small, undivided leaves with narrow basal angles and raised adaxial veins; In the western Amazon region in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil there is a morphotype (minor) with small,
undivided, rarely pinnate leaves and unbranched inflorescences with deciduous staminate flowers; In the western Amazon region in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil there is a morphotype (piscicauda) with large, undivided leaves with narrow basal angles and raised adaxial veins; On eastern Andean foothills in Ecuador at 1217(825-1600) m elevation there is a morphotype (puyo) with pinnate leaves; A widespread morphotype (pycnostachys) occurs in the central and western Amazon region in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. It has mostly undivided leaves with the veins not raised adaxially; In the central and western Amazon region of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil, with outliers in the central Amazon of Brazil and in Bolivia, there is a morphotype (trailii) with pinnate leaves with raised adaxial veins; In the southwestern Amazon region in Peru and Brazil there is a morphotype (uleana) with undivided or pinnate leaves with non-raised adaxial veins.